Arizona health insurance enrollment numbers way up

PHOENIX (AP) – The number of Arizonans signing up for health insurance on the federal marketplace has exceeded last year’s total by more than 40,000 with another month to go in the current open enrollment period.

The enrollment figures released Wednesday by the U.S. Health & Human Services Department show more than 160,000 people signed up for a new plan or had an existing plan that renewed.

The department says during the comparable period last year about 58,000 people had signed up.

In the first Affordable Care Act open enrollment period that ended last March 31, 120,000 Arizonans signed up for coverage.

This year’s open enrollment period ends Feb. 15 and those without coverage who don’t sign up will have to wait for next year to get coverage.